We work on big ideas that connect new forms of investment to social and environmental issues in the UK

We do this by working in partnership with others to create new funds, private investment products or seeding new advisory firms.

Mission

We work on big ideas that connect new forms of investment to social issues in the UK. We do this by working in partnership with others to identify gaps in the provision of finance and creating new funds, private investment products or seeding new advisory firms to work on solving the complex social and environmental issues others are afraid to work on.

About us

Not-for-profit

Finance for Sustainability is a not-for-profit, every penny we make in profits is reinvested in the Group, both expanding and strengthening existing operations or launching and seeding new ventures.

Majority of Profits Reinvested

Our Group Companies are either ‘not-for-profit’ or ‘for profit social sector’ businesses, meaning we have a mission lock and no less than 51% of profits are reinvested in that mission each and every year.

Collaborative

We are collaborative, we love working with others and respect diverse backgrounds and alternate ways of working. Our diverse set of skills and results in a best in class approach for the social, financial and community sectors.

Bespoke solutions

One size does not fit all, so we offer bespoke solutions and creative thinking rather than pushing existing products, services and approaches.

Over £40m Investment

Across the FFS Group we manage or advise on £43m of Social and Environmental Impact Funds, with more in the process of being created.

Current project

sustainable solutions
for the UK’s urban parks and greenspace
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We are finding ways to monetise the benefits delivered to society from natural capital, in particular parks and greenspace, sporting facilities and woodland.

Current project

protecting sports
facility provisions
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Finding ways to protect sports facility provision where local government can no longer afford to maintain and run them, improving income opportunities and impact.

Current project

Combining housing and renewable energy generation
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Looking at how housing and renewable energy generation can be combined in developments to offer ‘mortgage free’ ownership potential to affordable and social housing tenants.

Current project

Developing a ‘true’ lifetime carbon offset product
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Utilising woodland in the UK and internationally without re-releasing any of the captured carbon through burning (charcoal) or decomposition (chipping) and retiring the carbon credits (rather than selling them to mining firms)

Current project

Creating Environmental Impact Bonds
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Working with major UK environmental charities to assess the opportunity to create outcomes based investment models that could mobilise significant long term funding towards green infrastructure spending to tackle major issues such as air quality and flooding.

Current project

Creating the UKs 1st Community Sports Business Investment Fund
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Providing much needed start-up and early stage investment to charities and social enterprises using sport as a tool to create social and community impact.

Our Group Companies

Environmental Finance is a social enterprise that works across a wide variety of the conservation, natural and built asset sectors. Environmental Finance create, and partner with others who are creating innovative, investable projects. These projects are specifically structured to deliver quality returns for investors, local communities and the environment at large.

Sporting Assets is social enterprise that helps develop sustainable sports enterprises, by taking ownership of facilities, developing new ones and by helping to create or diversify revenue streams. Sporting Assets puts sport at the centre of improving outcomes for communities by creating social cohesion, sports participation, jobs, health and well-being; whilst enhancing social impact and financial sustainability.

ArtsVentures is a social enterprise that helps develop sustainable and resilient arts enterprises, by supporting them to make the most of their assets. Arts organisations are often rich in intellectual capital, relationships and brand value, as well as more tangible resources, that can support the creation of new and diverse revenue streams. ArtsVentures puts art at the centre of improving outcomes for communities by creating social cohesion, arts participation, jobs, health and well-being; whilst enhancing social impact and financial sustainability.

Sporting Capital is the UKs first dedicated investor in community sports businesses – charities and social enterprises using sport as a tool to create community and social impact. Sporting Capital invests in sport for social impact business’ start-up and early stage needs (typically £50,000 – £150,000) and seek to provide this funding in the form of a simple loan. The support would mobilise the trading activities envisioned by their business plans, to present a robust plan for the sustainable development of their organisation.

Who we work with

Our people across the group

Across the Group we aim to attract and retain the best talent in the sector to work on large scale impact. We bring in people from a range of backgrounds as we believe that these complex social issues can only be solved by using a variety of perspectives to develop investment products and/or underlying projects that deliver aligned social and environmental impact and attractive investor returns. All of our Group Companies are employee owned as our people are our business, incentives and motivations are all aligned to delivering for our clients and partners in order to drive the business forward.

About us

Richard Speak

Managing Director and Founder
Richard is a Chartered Accountant and trained in law, specialising in corporate finance, equity and debt fundraising. In 2012 Richard redirected his career to Social Investment and is now a leading Impact Investment specialist.

Tom Hall

Co-Founder, Sporting Assets
Tom is an expert business development adviser with specialism in community asset transfers, sustainable growth strategies and raising funding for sports groups. Leading many of the projects, Tom has a key role in ensuring the sports development element of proposals is robust and comprehensive.

Alice Millest

Co-founder, ArtsVentures
Alice leads on ArtVentures and is a Trustee of Clean Break, a charity using performance art to work with female offenders. She started her career at Investec and spent time in leveraged finance before joining Social Finance, the leading Social Investment intermediary, to work with charities and social enterprises.

Pete Maguire

Managing Director, Sporting Assets
Pete is an experienced business consultant with nearly 20 years’ experience advising businesses and sport sector VCSEs. Pete supports community organisations across a range of issues from initial feasibility and asset transfer through to large scale social investment readiness.

Craig Humphrey

Non-Executive Director, Finance for Sustainability
A founding team member of Environmental Finance, Craig has considerable experience in the renewable energy and sustainability space. Craig previously worked for Pall Mall Capital, working on projects in the energy and industrial sectors.

Jamie Mansfield

Managing Director, Environmental Finance
Jamie is an experienced founder and director of multiple community and municipal energy projects across the UK, working with a range of technologies. He has a strong experience in project development and financing of renewable energy projects for community benefit, working throughout the development, financing and operational phases of projects.

Have a big idea in social or environmental impact investment and don’t know where to start?